I Tried It: The Anti-Aging Treatment Celebs Swear By

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For a solution more potent than a cream, but less invasive than a traditional face-lift, Dr. Patricia Wexler has the answer. “I’m a great fan of Ultherapy because it works,” says the famed New York-based dermatologist to the stars. The treatment uses ultrasound wave technology to encourage collagen production (the building blocks of plumpness), and Dr. Wexler’s also sworn by it personally for a decade. (Here’s the truth about what collagen really does for your skin.) “It’s a precise non-surgical procedure, the only one I know of where you can visualize the exact placement of the energy and the level of skin where you’re placing it,” she says.

Applied to the neck, jawline, eye and brow area, the subtle results develop slowly as the dermis tightens and lifts for a structural upgrade inside and out. Anyone who has noticed a loss of elasticity — or wants to prevent it — is a candidate.

With costs ranging from $1,195 to $2,900 for a full face, it pays to protect your investment. “You have to use the right products every day,” Dr. Wexler says. Broad-spectrum sunscreen is imperative and rounding out a collagen-boosting squad with ingredients such as retinol, vitamins C and E, green tea, antioxidants and peptides will keep things on the up.

Our editor-in-chief, Beth Thompson, shares her experience with Ultherapy.

The pro: Dr. Sheetal Sapra of ICLS Dermatology & Plastic Surgery, in Oakville, Ont. “Think of this procedure as a tool in your maintenance kit, rather than a full-on neck lift,” he says.

The treatment takeaway: You feel a series of zaps, like the snap of a rubber band (mild) to a needle jab (worst-case scenario). It takes about two hours for the lower face/neck area, but there is no downtime. You can carry on with regular activities but might experience swelling, muscle soreness and bruising, all of which I did.

The check up: It takes six months to see full changes, though I can say one-month in that my skin is softer and more responsive to creams. Next, find out the anti-aging treatments doctors actually use.